If the  EpiCor research could ever be put into a real life picture, this would be it. Here’s hoping her run of good health continues.

EpiCor Science – Summary of Human Clinical Trials on EpiCor R11-03-2009-1

I generally don’t like to use sports analogies on this blog because this health information is for all people, not just jocks and fans. But this is special for a couple reasons:

1) Feller was a physical specimen. Not a body builder or someone with an elite physique. Rather, feller excelled throughout a 20-year career where he threw baseballs harder and faster than anyone in the game; fastballs that were clocked at nearly 107 mph (compared to today’s high range of 97-99 mph). He pitched a complete game–a full nine innings–300 times. Today, hardly any pitcher throws nine innings. 6 or 7 is about it for a starter. Gotta preserve the arm. In other words, Feller had a physical endurance and career longevity that was nothing short of astounding. People recall him taking the mound when we was 70 and 80 years old and still slinging it across the plate with some major zip.

2) Feller grew up on a farm. He was around hay, corn, pollen, hogs and all the bacterial and allergenic exposure that goes with the farm life, and, as research shows, can significantly define your immune system for the rest of your life. The Hygiene Hypothesis. Feller said his arm really wasn’t sore during his career. He didn’t ice it. “Ice is for cold drinks,” he said.

I would wager that Feller’s immune system–shaped by exposure to immune-shaping microbes on the farm–may have played a big role in his success and long life; balanced to the point of evading any major joint and muscle inflammation, and helping him live to a ripe old age without major illness (that is, until he succumbed to complications from leukemia), and, at least in part, enabling his physical durability for all those years.

That’s just my theory. Genes may also have played a big role. Who knows. If I’m wrong, please God, don’t let a Feller fastball strike me down!

When the cold weather sets in, one question always in the mix is: Does cold weather cause cold and flu virus to proliferate and make more people sick?  And, does cold weather weaken your immune system?

Sounds like the answer is “no” on both counts. Some explanatory info from the American Academy of Pediatrics says that the reason people get the winter crud is because they are cooped up inside during the winter, where closer proximity to other people means an easier exchange of germs and viruses. When people spread out more in the warmer weather months and spend more time outside, that easy swap isn’t as much of a factor.

Another source says that cold weather doesn’t weaken the immune system, but viruses and germs may be more easily transmitted in the dry air that rules in winter. Why? 1) Your mucous membranes get dried out, accommodating greater germ and virus activity 2) the protective “shell” of a virus is stronger in winter, and tends to melt away in warmer temps 3) airborne virus droplets remain suspended longer in cold, dry air, whereas they sink to the ground in heavier, more humid air.

These explanations are not settled science, but they do give some insight as to what’s going on during the winter that makes cold and flu more prevalent. Bottom line: maintaining good immune health can serve you well in any season.

Triclosan: and EDC-classified molecule

Don’t forget that acronym: EDC. It stands for “endocrine disrupting compound.” A new University of Michigan study suggests that exposure to an EDC substance called triclosan, found in antibacterial soaps and other products like diaper bags and toothpaste, may be linked to higher instances of allergies among young people age 18 and under.

The endocrine system is the hormone production center for the body. Hormones can be a significant modulator of immune cell activity.

The author of the study had this summarizing statement about exposure to triclosan: “The triclosan findings in the younger age groups may support the ‘hygiene hypothesis,’ which maintains living in very clean and hygienic environments may impact our exposure to micro-organisms that are beneficial for development of the immune system,” said Allison Aiello, associate professor at the U-M School of Public Health and principal investigator on the study.

Keep in mind, this study is simply an analysis of data collected from 2003 to 2006. It was not a direct intervention study where participant were given a compound and compared to a placebo group. The evidence for EDCs and immune function is still being debated and far from settled.

Just when you thought you’d heard everything about avoiding germs and staying healthy during the holidays, along comes an update from CBS Sunday Morning.  I should have posted this last week when it ran, but now  is better than never. The hand washing part reminds me of one of my good high school friends.  He’s a urologist in Arkansas now. When I was visiting him at his in-laws’ home over the holidays one year, I remember watching him wash his hands in the kitchen sink before eating a meal. He scrubbed them down for minutes on end, like he was getting ready for surgery. He taught his father-in-law to do the same thing.

After watching this video, now I know why he was so intense about it.

The piece also features an interview about the “hygiene hypothesis” of exposing ourselves to basic bacteria to train our immune system to work efficiently–and not hyperactively–when it senses foreign compounds in the body. In other words, vigorous hand washing and antibacterial liquids may be over doing it. What do you think?

A key part of Ackerman’s discussion involves a description of our immune system in relation to the cold virus. She posits the notion that our immune system, especially when it over-reacts…is what really causes cold symptoms. You know, the stuffy nose, watery eyes, inflamed bronchial system.

“Here was a new insight in cold science: the symptoms are caused not by the virus but by its host — by the body’s inflammatory response. Chemical agents manufactured by our immune system inflame our cells and tissues, causing our nose to run and our throat to swell. The enemy is us.” That’s from the the op-ed piece. It’s what we’ve been saying all along.  Read more.

Is this the patient or the doc?

The Huffington Post is one of my favorite news portals, simply because it offers so much in one place. From time to time I check in with its health section to see what’s being written. I like it because the story headlines have a little attitude and the pictures kind of pull you in. Beyond that, it’s usually pretty good information.

One story this week is on 8 types of stress in the workplace. The story provides some good tips on confronting those stressors. No doubt prolonged stress puts your immune system out of balance. I think I either relate to or know someone who fits every one of those 8 scenarios. It’s a jungle out there.

The other story was about the fact that many docs, especially medical interns and residents, come to work sick.  More than half of the docs-to-be said in a survey that they’ve come to work sick. One-third said they’ve done so more than once. Why? Because we all know that residencies and internships are the career phases where docs have to sell their souls to make the grade. There’s no such thing as an 8-hour day or a day off.  So why not spread some germs and viruses while you’re trying to cure people.

Just a few more reasons why preparing your immune system to perform at its best is good insurance for whatever life throws your way, even when you can’t always see it.

Once in a while, it’s kind of interesting to see what the latest science is showing in terms of a molecule actually impacting the behavior, not of immune cells, but of the actual bacterium itself.  Please welcome to our show, the cranberry, or more specifically, cranberry juice.

Some new research has come from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (I know, not a research mecca like Berkeley or MIT…it’s located in Worcester, Mass, but appears to be a nice little sci/tech specialty school). It shows that cranberry juice itself, when consumed by people with a history of urinary tract infection (UTI), appears to decrease the number of UTI’s over a 12 month period. It also appears to inhibit the wicked antibiotic-resistant MRSA staph infection

Apparently, cranberry juice can alter the e.coli bacterium in UTI occurrences by blunting and curling up the sharp little claws, called fimbriae, on e.coli germs that otherwise allow the e.coli to attach to other cells in the urinary tract and multiply.

The juice also almost completely eliminated MRSA bacteria from being able to form a thin biofilm on human tissue, where normally MRSA bacteria would proliferate.

It’s all fascinating. I’m not saying go drink a quart of cranberry juice each day with your EpiCor and become a walking health fortress. But it is cool to continue seeing confirmation of whole foods’ and supplements’ potential to promote healing and health.

A little info digging on my part came up with some interesting theories–even a little research–on how and why we give off our natural scent, before the Old Spice is applied. Seems the immune system and its state of health might play a role.

One report–which sounds pretty legit on the surface but doesn’t cite any real sources–says a poorly functioning, even overactive, immune system interacting with the bacteria it’s fighting may cause body odor.

Another article says immune system genetics create a scent that is noticed by women much more so than men. The more divergent a man’s immune genetics are from a woman’s, the more attracted she may be to him. That’s nature’s way of fortifying offspring with the most robust, diverse and adaptive immune system possible.  Hmmmm. I don’t know, especially when “sniff tests” of shirts were used to gather data. But, crazier things have happened.  Another piece also cites the immune sniff theory as well, plus gets into everything from ovulation to foods to ethnicity as contributors to body scents.

I also just read a theory that in cultures where people don’t shower every day–and hence probably have a stronger odor than us American hygiene freaks–healthier, more balanced immune systems and overall better health may prevail. Those people are not washing away bacteria every day, and therefore are giving their immune systems fuel to exercise themselves and build up better function and performance. Kind of dovetails on the hygiene hypothesis.

So hey, Old Spice guy, keep up the good work. God knows between garlic, bacteria, immune cell genes, gender-based olfactory sensitivity, we’ll need your help.

Now look at me. Now look away.

So what about gut bacteria and immune health, amid all this?  This is where inflammation comes in, which we’ve also covered here.  Begley states: “…the precise way in which gut bacteria affect weight is a matter of intense dispute. The idea that different bacteria extract more or fewer calories from the food we send their way, as Gordon’s studies suggest, is only one possibility. Another possible explanation is that gut bacteria contribute to obesity (as well as to type 2 diabetes, which often goes along with being overweight) by altering the immune system. The idea here is that gut bacteria interact with intestinal cells in a way that causes them to secrete cytokines, molecules that can cause low-grade inflammation. This inflammation can, in turn, trigger insulin resistance (the mark of type 2 diabetes) and increased appetite, which is an effective way to put on weight.”

See more on this in Wired and in a drug industry trade. Also, an interesting Q&A in the Wall Street Journal Health Blog has some additional angles.

Maybe this is the core secret on why some people can eat anything they want every day and never gain an ounce.